What books should entrepreneurs read?

I get asked this question often, so I thought I would answer it once and for all. Here are the top ten books every entrepreneur should read. If you haven’t read these yet, order them today!

Here they are in no particular order:

Must Read #1: The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber This book helped me understand that being an entrepreneur is different from being an owner of a business. When you start your own business, most people find themselves starting at the work part of owning a business rather than becoming experts in management, marketing or sales. Once they realize that their success depends on their ability to transfer what they do out of the “workspace” into other departments within their company, things really start to take off. The E-Myth helps you understand the framework from which every other book on this list follows and must be understood before moving onto the next book.

Must Read #2: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill This book was written in 1938 and is still one of the best books ever written about business and mindset. It’s an absolute classic that should form a foundation for anyone looking to become successful. I recommend reading the original version since it has stood the test of time better than some of the newer versions out there.

Must Read #3: How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie If you want to succeed as an entrepreneur, then learn how to deal with people! You can have all of your strategy figured out, but if you can’t lead a team and gain buy-in from others, then your company won’t succeed.

Must Read #4: The Art of War by Sun Tzu The ancient text teaches us that business is often war. You have to defend the areas you control and be aggressive in those places where you are weak. Business success requires intelligence as much as it does aggression because without one or the other, no victory is possible. This book teaches entrepreneurs how to win both ways!

Must Read #5: Influence by Robert B. Cialdini When I first read this book, I wasn’t sure if an “old” text would really apply today – boy was I wrong! This is one of those books that you can read time and time again and still get something new out of it. The basic principle is that people are more likely to do things if they have been persuaded in the right way. This book teaches you how to persuade others without coming across as slimy or sales-y.

Must Read #6: The Lean Startup by Eric Ries I’m a big fan of this book because it helps entrepreneurs focus on what’s important – creating value for their customers. Far too often, entrepreneurs get bogged down in details that don’t really matter, and they lose sight of what’s important. This book helps you stay focused on what’s important by teaching you how to measure progress in a way that makes sense for your business.

Must Read #7: The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen This book is about how successful businesses can become so successful that they eventually stop innovating and die. It’s a bit of a heavy read, but it’s an important one for any entrepreneur who wants their business to survive for the long haul.

Must Read #8: Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh I’m a big fan of Tony Hsieh and this book is a great example of why. He is able to take his knowledge as the founder of Zappos and share it with the world in a way that is easy to understand and makes you want to go out and do something amazing. This book will teach you how to create a company culture that people will love working for.

Must Read #9: The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss This book is all about how to get the most out of your time by becoming more efficient with the way you work. It’s a great read for entrepreneurs because it helps you focus on what’s important and figure out how to delegate the things that are taking up too much of your time.

Must Read 10: E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber This book was originally written in 1985, but it is still one of the best books ever written about entrepreneurship. It helped me understand that being an entrepreneur is different from being an owner of a business. When you start your own business, most people find themselves starting at the work part of owning a business and not the entrepreneur part. This book helps you understand what you need to do in order to be successful over the long term, rather than just focusing on getting through the day!